hit oilpan pretty good, anything I should be checking?

[daniel_buck]

up front, my control arms hit the spring/shock mounts and leave the shots about 1 inch short.

But I'm not sure how all this translates into real-world flexing when everything is connected back up with the springs in there. I guess a dynamic hit would press it pretty far? either way, I'm guessing I need to do something, either longer shocks & bumpstops, or limit straps.

[curtis]

How does the TB limit the droop on the passenger side? If you put longer shocks on the rear, what happens to the coil spring (falls out?)

[inVERt'D]

I disagree with it being fine to allow the shocks to limit axle droop. Droop can damage a shock too.

In the rear of a TJ it's normally the rear sway bar that limits droop. In the front with longer shocks and sway bar disconnected, the control arms will hit the spring mounts, and the track bar will hit the top of its bracket.

[curtis]

I would not worry about the shocks on the droop side. the axle droop is always stopped by the shocks in a jeep. It's the up travel that will break a shock or the brackets. The only thing you need to worry about is the drive shaft binding and brake lines.

[daniel_buck]

Sounds like that might be good for limiting both the entire axle droop (driveshaft angle) and the shocks? As it is right now, if I take the springs out, disconnect the trackbar and swaybar, the axle will flex a bit more than an inch more than the shocks allow for.

So instead of getting longer shocks (which will mean longer bumpstops too? My bumpstops right now are just about perfect for maximum up-travel allowed by the shocks) I'm thinking about just putting limit straps on all 4 corners as well as the center of the rear.

[curtis]

Weld a tab on each side of the center section on the axle tubes. then run a strap from each tab up to a tab on the frame crossmember.

[daniel_buck]

I guess I won't be trying to weld in those tabs then :-\ lol

If you have one you'd like to donate Curtis, lets do it

[curtis]

My Bad, Just put a HP 9" in the rear like I did. Problem fix LOL.

[inVERt'D]

Curtis' suggestion is pretty good, but the more cover bolts the better--I wouldn't feel safe with only two.

You can't weld it with 110. Even with 220 you'd really want to use preheat with that machine. It's that old cold lap problem again. A decent stick welder would work, and there are plenty of people around with those.

I was kinda kidding about the square knot, but some 3" wide, single layer nylon strap would be tie-able and sufficiently strong. The only likely issue (besides the appearance) would be abrasion from rocks and even from the axle itself.

Curtis, I believe he's thinking of the rear axle now.

[daniel_buck]

This would be for the rear axle.

I was wondering about using the diff cover bolts as a mounting point

[Materdaddy]

You could make a tab with two or three holes in it and use longer front cover bolts. There is also some bolt holes in the block down by the oil pan that you can use.

This is the method I've seen before: a tab that uses a few of the top cover bolts after replacing with longer ones.

[curtis]

You could make a tab with two or three holes in it and use longer front cover bolts. There is also some bolt holes in the block down by the oil pan that you can use. The way I did mine was to weld a tab on the tube of the axle at the middle of the axle

[daniel_buck]

just wrapping a strap around it seems kinda ghetto, hah! I'll get a tab and weld it on there, just to the very top of the pumpkin, that's the best place? What do I attach it to on the frame side, I haven't looked under there yet to see what's there.

[inVERt'D]

Wrap a nylon strap around it and tie it off with a square knot. Or, if you're really desperate, you could weld on a tab or two.

[daniel_buck]

A center limit strap would do the trick and yes just raise the body and frame up till the axle hangs just on the shocks and see if the driveshaft turns freely

How would one go about mounting a center limit strap on a stock D44 that has no truss?